Circuit-breaker.



dAPIELIOA'IIOVN FILED HOV. 30, 1907- f 'Patented De@..5,19 11'.-

VW. P. HAMLYN. CIRCUIT BREAKBR.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIL'LIMIANCRAS IIAMLYN, or RUGBY, RNGLANn-ASSIGNOR rocnNERaI. ELECTRIC COMPANY, a CORPORATION or NRW- YoRx,

CIRCUIT-BRRAKRR.

Toallwhom'itmayconcerm Be it known that I, WILLIAM Personas I-IA'II'LYN, a subject 'of theKing of Great lritain, residing at 59 Manor road, Rugby,

.5 inthe 'county of Warwickshire, En land, have invented certain new and use fu Im-` rovements in and Relatin to Circuitreakers, of which the following is a -speci-- This invention relates to improvements in electric switches, particularly automatic elec trical circuit breakers of the type which are free to operate while the handle is held bythe operator.

1 5 The object of my invention istoprovide a simple and reliablemechanism the use of which makes it impossible for an operator to hold an electrical circuitclosed either accidentally or intentionally should the conditions be abnormal such as where an overload,

reverse or minimum current is passing in the circuit. v

My invention is preferably embodied"ina circuit breaker of .the free handle type having a collapsible mechanism through which the circuit breaker is operated the said mechanism forming in the closing and closed positions of the circuit breaker a collapsible closed polygon of which the Contact' carry# 40 is often used for this purpose and combineV with it a special mechanical arrangement of I levers which forms with the contact carrying arm a closed triangle by means of whichy the release -can be effected with a small ef fort, whether the circuit breakeris in thel closed position or inthe act of being closed by the operator. On the main movin lever which carries `the .contact brush I pivot' a bell-crank controlling lever or link havinga- 50 long arm with its free end in a convenient position .to coperate with. suitable bitching-v means 'which normally .prevent relativey inovemet between the main lever andthe controlling lever. On this speciall shatpled ano 'er bell lcrank-lever I pivot one end o lever which I may call the.intermediate le Specification ot Letters Ia'tent. appunti@ mea November so; 1907. semi No. 404,621; jv

- .Patented Dec'. 5i, 1911,

ver and I connect this lever at a suitable point preferably near to' that at which the' above mentioned special bell crank"lever -ispivoted on the'v main lever and at such a 60 point that the .downward pressure isassmall as possiblebut sufficient to allow the arm ofthecon'trolling lever' to swing from -right to left when the circuitl breaker is in the closed position or'in the act of being closed when 65 the catch is tripped, The other end ofthe intermediate lever is free but adapted to rest against a suitable ulcrum, such as a projec' tion on the main lever, .when 'the' circuit breaker is closed or in the act of being closed, 7o

.down which it can slide Aor roll when the retaining catch is tripped.- At a 'suitable point between the fixed and ,free ends of the intermediate lever I connect one end of a toggle link the other end ofrwhicli is fixed' to the Z5- operating handleto'form an ordinary Vtoggle mechanism by which thencircuitbreaker is z operated.

' In the drawing, ,Figures 1 and 2 show a .circuit breaker in sectional elevation fitted- 80 A with my improved arrangement .of .levers in the open and closed positions. vposition o'f the levers in'Fig. 2 indicatesthe vposition of thelevers after the handle has TheA dotted been depressed to bring the long arm ofthe controlling lever back .till .it is held Vup.by the trip catch ready for the circuit breaker to. be closed again after it'has operated. Fig. 3 shows the circuit breaker -in'plan view with the handle lever and .spindle "removed .9o

-and Fig. 4 shows the position of thelevers immediately the trip' catch is released and .just before the circuit breaker opens.

The main lever A--is pivoted lto a suitable stationary part at H H and is bi-295 furcated as shown in Fig. 3. Thislever.

A carries the bridgin contact. or main brush P as wellas t e auxiliary brush which,'.when `the breaker is closed, make contact with the-stationary contacts Rfto 1o complete the circuit. f Pivoted to the main lever Aat J J' is a bellcrank controlling( lever B M, the long. arm M of which ex-.

-tends downwardly and ;in its extreme rightI "hand ositionFig.' 1 is retained by a catch 1p F. .T e bifurcated' controlling leverv--B .M 'carries a spindle K upon which is pivoted the intermediate .lever C carrying a roller 'S at its lower extremity which enga 'a downwardly proiectingprtA" paral el to.

and integral withthe maialeverA and' fwhe'n .the circuit breaker is opened this roller travels4 over the projection'or ca'mf L formed on partA' of lever A anda'cting as a stop or fulcrumfor the lower end off the intermediate lever.' Pivotetl to the" in-4 E of the handle Z'rotatably mounted at V.'

termediate lever C at T- is a toggle link D which in turn is pivoted to'the extension' Y is a Aiitedstop engaged by the extension E whe'nvthe Atoggle is verset and the catch F is arranged s o that" the core-O of' In the closing and closed positions of the .circuit'breaker it will be seen by -referene to Fig-1 the .part A part B and .lever C form a triangle which may become distorted orcollapsed to allow'the circuit breaker a solenoid may moved upwardly to ltrip to open by slidingfv of roller Sdownwardly alongl the cam 'surface on the part/A but is prevented from 'so doing by the'catch F acting on the lever arm M.

' If a sudden overload occurs when the cir# cuit'breaker is beingclosed or is in the the'dead center of the toggle system'. As

4lever C descends; its roller slides around the pro'ectionor cam L'Aandas so'on as it A.intermediate lever.can move independently' slips be ind said projection the end of the ofthe main lever A, and the brushes P and X will be released, irrespective of whether the handle Z is held or not. -'loclose'the circuit breaker the first step is to depress handle Z whereupon the lever or extension E raises the intermediate lever C through the medium of link D thereby bringing the armv M into. the position where it is re tained by catch F and the roller S back into position in front of lever A.' The-han- -dle Zis then moved upwardly and owing to the lever M being held by catch'lf the levers A, B and C act as a rigid lever to hold the brushes in position and are maintained closed by simply raising the handle t a suliicient extent. to cause lpiv'ot 'N to pass the duaal center of the toggle system. In this posilion farther. upward movement of tluhandle is arrestedby stop Y. If during the closing of the breaker the catch F is tripped the parts ,will resume the o en position and it, will be. impossible to c Ose the breaker while abnormal conditions obtain .in the circuit.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is .1. An electric switch comprising an' actuating member, a contact member, and a Y 'mediate lever connected. to said actuating member to` move therewith, restraining Ameans :fori preventing the endof said lever being moved 4b the thrust of Said actuat. ing member w en said lever is in normal position, connections between said lever and said Contact member for transmitting -the thrust of saidactuating member to said' contact' member, andfor permittingsaid lever A to move relatively to said contact ,member, until the end of said lever is .'free from said restraining-means and can move 'independently- 'of said contact member in.

response to' the thrust -of said actuating member, and latching mechanism for normall holding said lever in normal position.

2. elec-tri@ switch comprisinglan actu ating membcr, 'a.movable contact member,v4

an intermediate lever connectedio said member, a' stop cooperating with one end of said Alever to normally' prevent it being" moved by the thrust of 'said'actuating member during switchclosing movement thereof, a controlling'link pivoted 'to the other end of 'said-- intermediate lever and to said contact'lhember and tendingunder thethrust of said actuating member to -move said lever 'rela-f tively to saidj movable contact and carry', the end of said lever'out of engagement with said stop'thereby leaving said lever free tomove vindependently of said' contact, and

latching means for normallyQhldingsa-id intermediate -le'ver in position'w'ith 'its end against said stop. 'f

3. An electric switch comprising a. movable contact member, a stop on said member,

a controlling link pivoted to saidcontact member, an intermediate lever with one lend pvoted to said controlling link and the other end in engagement with said stop when in normal position and free of- Said stop when out of normal position, an Aactuating member connected to said intermediate lever, and latching means for restraining said link and thereby holding said lever in normal position.

4. An electric switch comprising a pivotetl contact member, a stop on `said member near the pivot thereof, an intermediate lever havv ing one end normally in engagement with said stop, an actuating member connected to said lever, a controlling link pivoted to said contact member and to said lever and movable to carry the end of said leuer into and out of refristry with said stop, and bitching means rfor enga ing said controlling link to hold it in normalg'position.4

5. A n electric switch comprising a. mov-- able contact member, aV controlling link pivoted at 'one end to said movable vcontact member, an intermediate lever pivoted to said controlling link and moved longitudinally by movement of said controlling about its pivoted end, latching means cooperating with the othered of said con- 1 trolling link to normally prevent movement connected to said controlling link and the thereof about its pivoted end, whereby said intermediate lever is maintained in normal position, an actuating toggle connected to said intermediate lever, and a stop which prevents movement of one end ofsaidlever by the thrust of said toggle when said lever is in normal position but releases the end out' said lever when said lever moves longitudinally uponthe release of said controlling link by saidla'tc'hing means.

6. An electric switch comprising. a'xpivoted contact member, a stop mounted on said member near the pivot thereof and terminating in an inclined surface, a lcontrollingr link pivoted to said member eccentric to thepivot, an intermediate lever having one end engaging the end of said lever when said;` lever 1s 1n normalposition, a movablepcontact member, a bell crank connecting link pivoted at one end to said contact member and 'atl the angle to said lever,said' link being movable to carry the 'end of said lever out of engagement Withsaid stop and thereby :tree said-.members from eachv other, and

latching means coperating with the other .end'of said link to hold said link innormal position. 8. An

overset when the swit-ch is closed, an intermediate lever connected to one end of said toggle, restraining means for holding one end of said lever' immovable against the thrust of said toggle when said lever-isin normal position, connections between said contact member and said lever for transmit.-

ting the thrust o said toggle and for permitting said lever to move relatively to said contact member to free the end thereo from said restraining means and to underset said toggle, and latching means for normally holding said lever with its end in engagement. with said restraining means.

9. An electric switch ,comprising a movable contact member, an actuating toggle for moving said member, an intermediate lever connected to said toggle and mounted on said contact member to normally transmit the thrust of said toggle-to said megnber and to move along said member transverse to the line of thrust of said'toggle out of normal relation to said member and thereby permit said member to mover independently of said toggle, and latching means for normally holding said lever against movement alongl said member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set myihand this nineteenth day of November 190 wiLLIAM PANCRASHAMLYN.

I Witnesses:

CHARLES H. FULLER, J. A. Fos'rnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

` Washington, D. C.

d electric switch comprising a movable contact member, lan actuating toggle 

